For some time, banking institutions have handled the transfer and presentment of checks for payment in a manual fashion. At a specified time each day, a bank sorts all checks presented to it from depositors, Federal Reserve banks and other banks into bundles, with the bundles containing checks for the particular banks on which they are drawn (the "drawee" or "payor" bank). As the bundles of checks are sorted for particular drawee banks, they are segregated into batches of about 300 checks according to their transit/routing numbers. One or more of these batches are then aggregated for shipment to the destination "drawee" or "payor" bank. A cover letter is attached to each shipment of checks that summarizes the contents of the shipment. Such summary information comprises the name of the payor bank, a preassigned transit/routing number associated with the name of the "drawer" or "presenting" bank, the number of checks in the shipment and the total dollar amount of all of the checks in the batch. The cover letter is termed a "cash letter." The presenting bank then transfers by physical transportation means, to the payor bank, the "cash letter", which includes the cover letter and the bundles of checks.
When the payor bank receives the cash letter, it verifies that the contents of the cash letter, i.e., the check amounts, balance with the totals contained on the cover letter. After a check processing function and posting process, the payor bank determines whether enough money exists in the payor customer's account to cover payment of the check, and either accepts or rejects payment of the check. The payor bank then notifies the presenting bank regarding any balancing discrepancies or any items which are to be returned. The return is accomplished by physical transportation of the returned check to the presenting bank that originally accepted the check.
A typical instance in which this presentment and routing process occurs is when, for example, a bank customer receives a check from another party that is "drawn on" a bank other than the customer's bank and the customer presents the check to the customer's own bank for payment, either in cash immediately or by crediting the customer's account as a deposit. The bank that the check is drawn on is known as the "drawee" or "payor" bank. In order for the customer's bank to collect on the check presented by the customer, the customer's bank, known as the "presenting" bank or bank of first deposit, "presents" the check to the drawee bank for deduction from the account of the drawee bank customer who wrote the check. In this role, the customer's bank becomes the "presenting" bank. Once the drawee bank receives and processes the check, it essentially pays the amount of the check to the presenting bank through a settlement process. In this role, the drawee bank becomes known as or is referred to as the "payor" bank. Additionally, in terms of the delivery of items presented to the payor bank by a presenting bank for payment, the payor bank may be referred to as the "destination" bank.
The procedure described above is an over-simplification of the process established for clearing checks between banks. However, it is sufficient to demonstrate the problems associated with such a process. A first problem resulting from the above process is the delay between the time a check is first deposited at the presenting bank and the time the payor bank accepts or rejects the check. The presenting bank has the choice of either placing a hold on the depositing customer's bank account until it is notified of acceptance by the payor bank, or it pays out the money to the presenter and incurs the risk that the check will be rejected by the payor bank as an unpaid check.
Many banks choose not to incur such a risk, and therefore place a hold on the customer's bank account until it is notified that the check has been accepted and paid, i.e., debited to the payor's bank account. However, the time that it takes for the presenting bank to be notified that a check has been accepted or rejected may take as long as 7 to 10 days. The Expedited Funds Availability Act of 1987, however, places limits on the length of time that a bank may retain a hold on a customer's funds. In most cases, only two days are allowed for local items, and only three days for non-local items. These time limits can severely expose a bank to risks of loss and fraud by forcing a bank accepting customers' deposits to release funds to those customers prior to verification that those funds are, in fact, collectable from the payor bank.
To overcome the problem of delay, banks have attempted to automate the process of gathering checks into cash letters, sending and receiving cash letters, and reconciling these cash letters against their contents. Such attempts at automation have included the installation of check sorter machines that scan checks at very high speeds, and sort these checks into separate bundles associated with each payor bank. Conventional check processing methods employed by most U.S. Banks and other financial institutions now process checks and credits using high speed reader/sorter equipment such as IBM 3890's or Unisys DP1800's. The sorter "reads" information contained on the checks such as the transit/routing number, the bank customer's account number, the check serial number and the amount of the check. This information is contained in a line of symbols at the bottom of each check in Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) form in a font called E13B. After reading and validation, the equipment transfers such information through data processing means to electronic data storage devices. This method of processing checks and deposits is called Proof of Deposit (POD). Check sorter machines have been used quite successfully and are well known in the art.
Another attempt at automating the check process is the use of computer systems to record and manage the information associated with the check sorting procedure. Such computer systems interface with the check sorter machines and allow the computer systems to build database information associated with each check that is read. This allows an operator of a computer system to obtain information on checks that have been read such as the total number of checks drawn on specific banks and the total dollars of all checks drawn on specific banks. Such systems that accomplish this task are the IBM Check Processing Control System (CPCS) and the Unisys Item Processing System (IPS).
Although both of the above attempts have benefitted the banking industry, they have failed to address the problem of delays associated with both the transfer of cash letters between banks and the notification of acceptance or non-payment of a check. Better transportation, overnight express, and other services have helped to improve the physical transfer of cash letters, but the transfer of the information contained in the cash letters has still been dependent on the physical delivery of the cash letters to each of the payor banks. Such dependence on the physical transfer of the cash letters perpetuates the delay associated with acceptance or non-payment of particular checks.
Another problem associated with the transfer of cash letters between banks is the inability of either bank to specify, for identification purposes, a particular check that was sorted by the other bank's system. As each check is captured on the check sorting machines, a micro-film image is captured, and a unique "item sequence number" is assigned by the CPCS or IPS system. The system then maintains a database of item sequence numbers so that it can later identify and find individual checks within the numerous rolls of micro-film. However, since each bank assigns its own item sequence numbers, there is currently no way for one bank to cross reference its own item sequence number to that of another bank. Therefore, alternate manual processes and lengthy correspondence has been required to resolve inquiries on each specific check.
Although means have come into existence that allow for wire transfer, or electronic transfer of funds (EFT) from banks, see Deming, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,264 and Case, U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,042, these systems have dealt with the transfer of funds between a bank and an individual or corporate customer. Such EFT systems are well known in the industry and have evolved as a limited means of expediting the transfer of funds through electronic means. Electronic flows of payments through networks such as FEDWIRE, CHIPS, SWIFT, CHAPS and Automated Clearing Houses (ACH) continually move credits and debits through bank accounts. These networks, although providing notice of non-payment of an electronic transaction, do not perform any functions associated with paper checks. No system, prior to the development of the ECP system disclosed in the parent application, has allowed banking systems to electronically transfer, and control the transfer of, the large volume of checks deposited in their institutions every day.
Unisys has developed a "V Series Item Processing System Tape Input/Output Module" as part of its IPS. This Input/Output Module creates tape or disk files containing data that is captured during document processing operations. This module allows sending and receiving banks to process item information from tape, without the need, in all cases, to receive the paper items first. This module consists primarily of data communication, information sorting and comparison, tape and disk file creation and handling, and comparison tape and disk file creation and handling, and display handler programs and utilities.
The ECP system of the present invention differs from the Unisys Tape Input/Output Module in certain significant aspects. First, the ECP system comprises a fully electronic means of automatically capturing and transmitting check information to the appropriate banks and allowing them to perform the necessary clearing process tasks, without the need to transfer anything physical, whether a tape file or the physical check presented for payment. The ECP system also provides additional features not present in the Unisys module.
The Unisys Tape Input/Output Module is only applicable for use by presenting and payor banks that use Unisys IPS Check processing equipment and software. The ECP system of the present invention removes this limitation by enabling users of other hardware and software systems such as IBM to use an electronic means of transferring and processing electronic checks. The Unisys Tape Input/Output Module does not include means to incorporate new and valuable non-MICR data within the ECP record and therefore has no facility to provide a means of preliminary or final notification of unpaid checks, confirmation of payment notices or reelear instructions. The Unisys Tape Input/Output Module does not accommodate the functionality for benefit sharing nor does it examine the contents of the MICR line data to determine the quality of the contents of the MICR line with respect to unreadable digits or missing data. The Unisys Tape Input/Output Module makes no provision for reconciliation between the paper checks and electronic checks unless the paper is in the exact same order as the electronic file. The ECP system of the present invention does not require that the paper checks and the electronic checks be in the same order for matching and reconcilement. Further, there is no facility under the Unisys Tape Input/Output Module to match unless all data is readable and there are no missing fields within either the paper check or the electronic check.
The Unisys Tape Input/Output Module makes no provision for interfacing to a customer information file (CIF) to access and store specific information necessary to identify and process transactions for partner banks sharing ECP information, nor does it provide access and storage means for controlling, balancing and extracting information needed to reconcile and settle the ECP transactions between banks.
As has already been described somewhat above, in the United States, banks have existing systems for processing checks and tracking debit and credit transactions for a bank and its customers. These transactions have historically been carried out in the form of physical items - checks and credit slips -- that are entered into conventional check processing systems in transaction sets comprising credits and their associated checks that have been deposited by the bank's customers. Recent advances in technology, including electronic check presentment (ECP) and image processing, have made it possible to allow the encoded information contained on the MICR line of such documents to be extracted from the physical items and transferred to requisite destinations apart from the physical items themselves. The system of the present invention takes advantage of the advances in technology in order to provide a system for incorporating additional valuable information together with the encoded information extracted from physical documents and to provide a means for the electronic transfer of this expanded information between and among cooperating banks in a manner that improves the efficiency and accuracy of the accounting and check clearing processes and avoids the delays typically associated with transporting physical documents from bank to bank.
In conventional systems for data capture, checks and credit slips are preconditioned for processing and are read through high speed reader/sorter machines, with groups of documents being processed in transaction sets. During this high speed capture process, the credit portion of the transaction set is first read and validated and information contained on the credit slip's MICR line is extracted and stored in a data base. Then, the associated debits are read, validated, balanced to the credit slip and stored on the data base as associated with the corresponding credit. The physical documents are microfilmed, a unique item sequence number is assigned and the documents are directed to a designated pocket of the reader/sorter as either "on us" for those items drawn on the bank performing the capture and sorting operations, or as "transit" for those items drawn on all other banks. The transit items are directed to multiple pockets corresponding to the specific bank on which the check was drawn, i.e., the payor bank, to a correspondent of the payor bank or to specific Federal Reserve Districts or Cities. The segregated checks are then wrapped with a computer-printed detail list and cash letter covering report for each group of checks and the groups are dispatched via ground or air transportation to the other banks for further processing. When ECP means are utilized, the information that has been extracted from the checks is used to prepare electronic files for early data transmission to the other banks and the physical groups of checks and their listings and Cash Letters are dispatched at a later time.
When the checks are received by the payor bank for debiting the payor's account or, alternatively when ECP is utilized, when the ECP transmission is received, processing is performed to debit the affected payor's account. This process is known generally as Demand Deposit Accounting (DDA). As a result of the DDA process, conditions may occur that will not allow the check to be debited to the payor's account. Such conditions include, for example, insufficient balances, uncollected balances, stop payment orders and other irregularities. Each exception typically requires review by a bank officer to determine whether the check should be paid or whether the check should be returned to the presenting bank or bank of first deposit that submitted the check for payment. If the check is returned, it is physically sent to that bank and a decision is made by a bank officer to either re-present the check to the payor bank by reinitiating the entire clearing process in the hope that sufficient funds will then be available to pay the check or to notify the original depositor that the check was unpaid and is to be returned to the depositor, with the depositor's account being debited for the unpaid check as a charge back. This decision process is a manual process that requires the bank officer to examine the check and, in the majority of cases, to review prior instructions provided by the depositor to determine the appropriate disposition of the return check.
This return decision process, along with the physical delivery of the unpaid check, can take several days. During this time period, the bank of first deposit experiences a loss of funds and a potential loss through fraud. The original depositor also experiences the delay and this, in turn, may result in losses to them and in delays in initiating the collection process. The Expedited Funds Availability Act of 1987 offers some degree of protection to the bank of first deposit, but it is limited to high value returns of over two thousand five hundred dollars, by requiring twenty-four hour notification by the payor bank to the bank of first deposit. Further, that bank of first deposit is required to notify the original depositor of the return.
Accordingly, the system of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the above systems by providing a means for initiating an immediate electronic preliminary notification to the bank of first deposit, through ECP means, of non-payment of a check as a result of an exception condition detected during the DDA or check clearing process. This detection and notification is applicable to all checks regardless of their value. After subsequent examination of each potential return check by a bank officer, a final pay or no pay decision is made. If the check is to be returned as unpaid, a final return notification is electronically prepared and also transmitted to the bank of first deposit through ECP means.
Additionally, the system of the present invention provides a means to incorporate instructions within the ECP transmission for the handling of each return check at the time of the initial capture at the bank of first deposit such that the payor bank has instructions as to the method of handling the check in the event it is to be returned as unpaid. These instructions may request that the payor bank resubmit the check to their DDA system on subsequent processing days to determine if sufficient funds are available to pay the check, thus avoiding a lengthy and costly manual process.
Other systems directed to the accounting functions of debiting and crediting bank account and other financial records have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,174 to Thomson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,878 to Josephson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,945 to Thomson et al. These patents generally disclose methods of creating electronic data from physical checks or other types of non-negotiable paper documents to effect certain banking and accounts receivable functions. The disclosed methods differ from the method and system described in this application, however. The present invention utilizes electronic transmission of check related data, but also combines instructions for the disposition of an unpaid check within the electronic check record. No means for providing any such preliminary notification is disclosed in any of these patents. Only a final notification can be provided in accordance with the systems disclosed and no electronic notification is possible. Only written instructions can be provided, for visual inspection upon receipt. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,945 to Thomson et al. (the '945 patent) discloses a system affecting the accounting functions of debiting and crediting a bank's account records, a payer's bank account records, and a corporation's account receivable records with customer payments by creating an integrated document comprising an invoice and a negotiable instrument, generally a check. The claimed invention comprises an integrated billing document having two portions and various specific features as specified in the claims, for use in invoicing and bill paying processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,174 to Thomson et al. (the '174 patent) also discloses a system for preparing an integrated billing document. These documents are generated and sent by a corporation to its customers. Upon receipt by the customer, the billing portion of the document is removed, the check is signed and dated by the customer and it is mailed back to the corporation. The corporation groups these checks upon receipt and prepares a deposit for their financial institution. Upon deposit, conventional data processing methods used in a bank's check processing operations perform the validation, microfilming, capture and pocketing of each of the checks in the deposit. As part of the process, the corporation has access to remittance data that can be used by the corporation's accounts receivable system to automatically update each customer's account receivable record with the payment date.
The '945 patent and the '174 patent both provide means to incorporate coded instructions within the preprinted endorsement on the rear of the preprinted check. These coded instructions instruct the payor bank and the depository bank as to the method of dispositioning that check in the event it is returned as unpaid. Neither of the patents discloses any automated means of providing instructions as to the disposition of a return check using electronic check presentment means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,878 to Josephson (the '878 patent) discloses a financial data processing system utilizing payment coupons that relates to bill paying processes and systems. The '878 patent discloses the use of a payment coupon that enables automatic preparation of a preauthorized draft that can then enter and be processed by a conventional check clearing network. The disclosed system incorporates machine readable data that allows automatic extraction from a data base to enable preauthorized drafts to be automatically printed or an electronic funds transfer to be made. The use of a data base allows information to be incorporated within the record used to originate the electronic funds transfer. This information is then carried forward to the payor bank and could be used to initiate a return notification through the existing EFT process used for electronic returns. The '878 patent is intended for electronic funds transfer use only, however. It is not intended for use with checks that are handled in the ordinary course or that have been converted to electronic check presentment means.
None of the three patents cited discloses a system such as that of the present invention. None of the three patents cited discloses a system that provides a means of electronic submission from a sending bank to a payor bank that allows coded instructions to be incorporated that can initiate a preliminary notification of return through electronic means. Additionally, none of the three patents utilizes a coding method that can cause a return unpaid check to be identified as one of those to be automatically recleared or as one of those where a notification is required that those checks were successfully paid by the payor bank.
Electronic notification of return checks within a banking system is not practiced in the United States as yet. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, electronic notification of return checks is accomplished in accordance with the following process. Processed checks are returned to the account-holding branch where a physical examination of the checks is made for possible technical reasons for a return such as missing signature or irregular signature problems, post-dated or stale- dated checks, etc.. Next, an officer examines all checks identified as being unable to be paid because of an exception condition such as insufficient funds, closed account, stop payment order, etc., as determined either from output reports or through on-line access to the account balance files for those checks in question. All checks that are to be returned are then physically selected and the bank or branch of first deposit is determined from the stamped endorsement. The information contained on the check, including the date, amount, account number, account holder name, and return reason, is entered into an on-line system operated by the Banker's Automated Clearing System (BACS). BACS is similar in operation to the Automated Clearing Houses (ACH) in the United States. BACS then transmits the return check information, known as a "claim for unpaid," to the bank or branch of first deposit. Finally, the physical check is sent, either by mail or by physical delivery, from the account holding branch to the bank or branch of first deposit.
In this system utilized in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the bank or branch of first deposit can use the transmitted data to place holds on a depositor's account, notify the depositor of the return, or take other action to protect against loss of funds. The data may also be used to reconcile the claim for unpaid record to the physical check. The claim for unpaid record may also be used for accounting purposes.
There are significant differences between the method used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for providing some type of return notification and the system of the present invention. The U.K. method uses no electronic check presentment methods whatsoever. Therefore, the physical cheek must be examined. Further, there is no provision for any preliminary notification; only a final notification can be provided or utilized in the U.K. system. Still further, the U.K. system utilizes no encoded instructions such as are contained in the ECP records of the system of the present invention. Finally, the U.K. system provides no mechanism for including any disposition coding structure to alert the payor branch or bank of the requirement for a re-presentment of a check.
The present invention provides new capabilities not previously known or practiced and overcomes or at least significantly reduces the problems associated with or the limitations inherent in existing methods for accomplishing check presentment or funds transfer.